Page 60 of Ever Dark Academy: Vol. 1

“I will. Thanks,” Grayson answered even as all he wanted to do was glare right back at Lawson.

He’ll be gone tomorrow. Just forget about him. Don’t draw attention. Keep your head down.

Voices were suddenly lifted in song. It came from Vampires dressed in gold and white. They filtered forward away from a palace, though still dark, glittered with the same ethereal light that they did. The heavenly sound of their voices lifted in a single note, at first, was split apart by the thumping of drums. The sound had Grayson standing straighter and his heart pumping.

The Syrin Vampires--for that’s who it had to be--were capable of driving humans mad or making them fall in love or causing them to go to war or whatever it was the Syrin wanted. That want was threaded through their beautiful voices and could cause riots or for people to fall asleep. This time it invigorated and caused Grayson to feel pride and awe at simply being there.

As they marched forward, some of the Syrin danced. Their dancing wasn’t the usual shimmy-shake, but flips--forward and back--lifts, leaps, pyramids of individuals that formed and broke apart with the Vampires seeming so light that it was as if they were floating in the air. Gold powder slashed their cheeks and sparkled on their lips. They looked like music themselves. Glorious, sun-drenched, vibrant music. A young Asian man with almost too beautiful features was at the front of this group.

Though Grayson hadn’t been a big fan of his music, he recognized the wildly popular kpop artist, who evidently also happened to be a Vampire. There were screams of delight and recognition. Some of the humans jumped up and down and pointed at the famous singer, evidently, not knowing until now what his true identity was. The artist took it in stride. He threw kisses to the crowd even as he seemed to sing his heart out.

Grayson couldn’t help the tapping of his foot and the clapping of his hands. The drumbeat pulsed up from the ground and filled his body with wild vibrations. His reaction was muted compared to others. He saw students start to dance by themselves, with each other, and in groups. There was a sort of ecstasy to it. Grayson though felt unnerved. He was out of control and he didn’t like it. He shook his head to try and clear it.

“You don’t trust this happiness?” Eiji asked, but it was more a statement.

“I don’t like other people setting the tune,” Grayson answered.

He noted that the Japanese man was bobbing his head and smiling benevolently, but wasn’t quite in time to the music. He was close, but not quite. He was faking being moved by it. Grayson’s eyes widened.

“You don’t like people setting the tune either,” Grayson murmured.

“Perhaps I am a little set in my ways,” Eiji answered, but continued to smile and bob his head so that no one but Grayson knew the difference.

Mairead was grinning and bouncing in place. Her green eyes were bright and there were spots of color on her freckled cheeks. “Isn’t this great? Imagine having this power over people!”

Grayson strove not to frown. After all, he was pretending he wanted to be a Vampire, and if one wanted to be a Vampire surely one wanted power as well as immortality and wealth. So he gave a nod and said nothing.

Balthazar’s voice was suddenly booming, but not in the air, in his mind. In everyone’s mind. Grayson saw his fellow students jerk in surprise as they too heard the Immortal speaking.

Welcome, welcome, everyone! Balthazar greeted them. For those who do not recognize me, I am one of two headmasters of this academy. I am the Immortal Eyros, though some call me Balthazar. Being able to speak mind to mind certainly ensures you’ll hear me clearly. And I’ll even know if you are really enjoying yourselves.

Grayson’s head jerked up as he realized that Balthazar was levitating directly over the fountain. Meffy was perched on his left shoulder, another bit of darkness. Balthazar was dressed in a fashionable dark suit with a longer coat that came to his knees. A blood red tie was paired with a rose of the same color in his buttonhole. His hands were drawn together almost as if in prayer underneath his chin, but a grin was upon his lips.

Those lovely voices you hear are coming out of Syrin Vampire throats, Balthazar continued, Ever thought about the power of music? It can move us to tears or sadness or joy. Cause the soul to soar or fall. Music is the Syrin’s gift. If you catch a Syrin’s eye the idea of “our song” will take on the most intimate of meanings.

There was startled laughter in the crowd as Balthazar waggled his eyebrows. Lightning--red, yellow, blue and purple--radiated inwards across the sky like the spokes of a wheel with Balthazar as the center.

Grayson though turned his head to look back at Ryder. He wondered what Ryder felt about all of this. He had been pretty skeptical about this parade, but so far it was pretty cool. Grayson’s cheeks heated as he realized that Ryder was looking at him. Quickly, the Vampire looked down but then back up again with an almost sheepish smile as if he couldn’t quite help himself from checking in on Grayson. Grayson smiled back.

But let’s meet our next Bloodline. Balthazar rubbed his hands together. These are being introduced in no particular order, though this happens to be one of my favorites as it is ruled over by my good friend, Fiona, please welcome the Wyvern!

The area around the fountain had been empty of people, but suddenly in a blink of an eye, over a dozen Vampires appeared, perched on the fountain’s edge. Balancing on the top of the fountain’s main statue stood a beautiful black woman. She had long hair in elaborate braids that fell to her mid-back and wore what looked like a golden corset over a skin tight black, bodysuit. Her head was thrown back. One arm was outstretched.

She looked like a gorgeous ornament on top of that fountain. Then in a flash, she was gone. They all were, but then they reappeared in another formation, that of a star again surrounding the fountain. They disappeared again and formed a square. They disappeared again then reformed a triangle. The disappearances and reappearances became so quick that they seemed to flicker in and out of existence like an old black and white movie. The crowd roared and clapped in appreciation as they reappeared this time seemingly for good. The woman in the golden corset bowed, her black skin gleaming with sweat from exertion, and then gestured to her people who took their bows. She clapped for them and waved a hand in the air as her people once more disappeared then reappeared farther along the parade route.

Wyvern! Balthazar announced with a flourish of his left hand. Want to truly ghost someone? Theirs is the power to do that, Balthazar chuckled. Or rob banks. Or enter places where you’re not supposed to be. Like museums or houses of the rich and famous… Now, now, I’m not advocating breaking the law. Just as a Wyvern, it’s so much easier to do.

“Do you suppose there are Vampire thieves?” Grayson asked Eiji.

“Of course. It is not as if most of them can get real jobs. They are limited in that way. While the older ones may have wealth and connections, the younger ones would have to earn their own way,” Eiji said. “Vampires are made to be criminals. Highly successful ones.”

For a moment, Grayson remembered using his own powers to try and lift wallets from purses or pockets. He’d just have to walk past a person--close, but not actually touch them--and boost the wallets out of their semi-secure locations and into his hands. It hadn’t been as easy as he’d hoped. He had to see the wallet for one thing in order to lift it. When the wallet bulged in a back pocket that was best, but that also meant when he moved it with his gift that the person was more likely to feel the sensation of it moving against their body. So he found he had to distract them. A shoulder to their chest. An accidental knock of their arm. Asking if they had lost a scarf or a glove or something that would distract them. Those had often worked.

He remembered how the money would sometimes still be warm from their body heat. He’d only taken the cash as he couldn’t risk being seen using a credit card that could be traced. For a while it had been brilliant. He’d had tons of cash so much that he wanted to share it with Sam. But when his friend had seen it, he’d gone white and crushed the cash back into Grayson’s hands.

“No, no, Sam, this is for you,” Grayson had said with a smile as he’d tried to give the cash over again.

“No, kid, don’t flash that kind of green around. Not even to me,” Sam had said, eyes darting all over to see if anyone was around.

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